BRISBANE’S Peters family is this month celebrating the founding of Pacific Tug, a business that kicked off “accidentally” with a 45-foot fishing boat and now has a fleet of 28 vessels and two major marine facilities.
Pacific Tug was founded 60 years ago by brothers Con, George and Mick Peters at Victoria Point. The brothers realised the potential of a towing business when they towed a boat that was in trouble, almost by chance. Con’s three sons – Chris, Robert and Sam – now hold executive roles within Pacific Tug.
The Peters family kept the business when corporate raider Adsteam bought Pacific Tug’s assets in the 1980s. Pacific Tug continued on a minor level until it began to expand again from 2005, assisting Queensland’s resources boom while working in the likes of dredging, harbour and ocean towage.
The Pacific Tug Group now comprises six arms including its fleet of 28 vessels (comprising tugs, crew transfer and support vessels and barges), Pacific Marine Base Brisbane and Pacific Marine Base Bundaberg.
The company is using the occasion of the 60th anniversary to call for Queensland to make better use of the “blue highway” that remains the greatest global trade route.
Chris Peters, a Master Mariner who worked on tankers, dredging and offshore work before joining the family business, believes Pacific Tug could assist in opening Queensland’s port capacity to enable more trade opportunities.
“The ‘blue highway’ remains the most efficient trade route in the world and Australia can improve its capacity,” Mr Peters said. “Pacific Tug Group wants to help improve that capacity and we’re happy to work with governments to ensure the best opportunities for the nation’s trade.”
This includes realising the potential of Pacific Marine Base Bundaberg, which has plans to finalise a 200-metre-long general cargo wharf that caters for break-bulk shipments such as mining and agricultural equipment.
“When completed, Pacific Marine Base Bundaberg will have the largest load capacity of any port along Australia’s east coast,” he said. The port has notable advantages when added into a wider mix including Brisbane and Gladstone, which both play critical roles in the state’s freight needs. “It will enable vessels to access southeast Queensland’s agriculture, manufacturing and industry hubs without having to queue off the coast awaiting a berth.”
Mr Peters said the company was grateful for the opportunities created across six decades with the promise of more to come. “We’re grateful for everyone who has helped a Queensland family-owned company to thrive and grow over 60 years in a challenging market that includes multinationals,” Chris Peters said. “Pacific Tug has played a role in many elements of Queensland life while also working across the nation, into the Pacific and beyond.
“We have played a key marine support role on the developments transforming Brisbane’s riverfront in recent years and we have also have a strong presence in north Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia and Victoria and the Pacific Islands.
“We’re entering our seventh decade with enthusiasm.”